An Obituary

Paul Daniels was loved not just for his magic tricks but the cheeky personality he performed them with.

Born Newton Edward Daniels in the South Bank area of Middlesbrough, on 6 April 1938, his first interest in magic ignited after reading How To Entertain at Parties and thus began his love of performing tricks in front of family and friends.

He then moved his act to local youth clubs. ‘From that moment, I can safely say that all I ever wanted to do in life was to become a professional magician,’ he said.

He married first wife Jacqueline Skipworth in 1960, who was his assistant and they performed under the name The Eldanis, an anagram of Daniels. His big break came after he was offered a summer season in Newquay in 1961.

He got his first TV appearnace on talent show Opportunity Knocks, which led to him getting a regular slot on The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club. It was in 1978, that Paul landed his own show, Sunday nights on ITV before moving to the BBC with the Paul Daniels Magic Show, which ran for 15 years.

At this point he was no longer married to Jacqueline, but in a professional and personal relationship with Debbie McGee having met her for the first time during a 1979 summer season in Great Yarmouth. They married in 1988.

Odd One Out, Every Second Counts and Wipeout, and the children’s television programme Wizbit were just a few of the shows Paul popped up in, and he also enjoyed time in the theatre, with a six-week run in The Magic Man in London’s West End in 1994 after the BBC didn’t renew his contract.

His brand of TV magician was replaced in popuarity with the street magic of David Blaine and Dynamo, so he and Debbie ended up taking part in reality shows like The Farm, Stars In Their Eyes and The X Factor: Battle of the Stars

(Picture: Steve Back/Daily Mail/REX/Shutterstock)

Paul appeared in the eighth series of BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with Ola Jordan and was the second celebrity to be voted off though he saw the silver lining.

‘It got rid of my inhibitions. That’s a good thing that came out of Strictly,’ he told the Daily Mirror, ‘Debbie and I renewed our vows the other week and, for the first time in 22 and a half years, I danced properly with her.’

(Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

Daniels and McGee shared the news of his inoperable brain tumour via their website. Debbie thanked fans for their ‘wonderful messages’ of support.

‘I wish I could answer all your wonderful messages individually but there are so many. They are all appreciated so much,’ she tweeted.

‘Paul and I had no (idea) of how people felt. Truly amazing. Thank you.’

(Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Paul no doubt wasn’t afraid when he finally passed, as he had given his thoughts on death in an interview with the Guardian.

‘It’s just like going to sleep. It doesn’t bother me because when your time’s up, your time’s up.’